


Isn't it obvious?

by mrs_toadington



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Great Hall, Hogwarts Eighth Year, M/M, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Quote, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-14 19:15:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10542816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrs_toadington/pseuds/mrs_toadington
Summary: Quote from „Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix“, Chapter 13:Draco says meaningly: "Maybe he's messing with stuff that's too big for him, if you get my drift" (13.98).Maybe Harry isn't the only one being oblivious when it comes to certain topics.





	1. Chapter 1

The students in the Great Hall went quiet when Harry entered and slowly made his way to the Gryffindor table. He took his time, carefully measuring each step. As Harry heard the whispers that started everywhere he stopped walking. His face suddenly went a dark crimson shade and he tried to walk a bit faster than before.

He saw the Hufflepuff first years watching him with worry in their eyes as if they feared he would drop dead any moment. Harry felt even more embarrassed than he already was, considering the cause for the state he was in.

He really shouldn't have risen to the bait. But being a Gryffindor he had once again acted before thinking about it.

Fortunately he had reached his table by now, which only led to another problem. How was he supposed to sit down on those uncomfortable benches? Harry stared at them for a few seconds before he stepped over the bench and slowly lowered himself on it. He flinched as he made contact with the hard wood. It felt like his whole body was aching. Ron and Hermione stared at him like all the other students in the hall.

„Just don't ever ask!“, Harry growled. Ron shot him confused glances over his plate. „But Harry…“ Hermione started just like always. „I really don’t want to talk about it now.“ He looked at her pleadingly. Hermione seemed to consider asking him again, but obviously decided on waiting until they were alone. Harry made a mental note to evade the common room for the evening. He really needed some time alone to sort out what had happened before he was ready to face Hermione’s questions.

Harry felt a shudder course through his body as his mind drifted off to the events right before he arrived at the Great Hall for dinner. A strange kind of warmth spread inside of him starting somewhere in his stomach and reaching out until his fingers and toes tingled with it. 

„Poor Potter, did you fall from your broom? I thought you got better at flying since third year?“, someone at the Slytherin table shouted. Harry snapped out of his daze just as Malfoy drawled  
„Maybe he's messing with stuff thats too big for him, if you get my drift.“

„He’ll be the death of me!“ Harry mumbled to himself over and over as his mind drifted back to the scenes in the abandoned classroom he had experienced half an hour before. 

 

Quote from „Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix“, Chapter 13:  
Draco says meaningly: "Maybe he's messing with stuff that's too big for him, if you get my drift" (13.98).


	2. Chapter 2

(some weeks prior to the event at dinner)

„What do you want?“ Malfoy stared at him with wide eyes as he tried to slowly back away. Harry hated seeing the once so proud boy hiding in the shadows of the corridor, his shoulders slumped and his whole body eminating fear.

xxx

It was their eighth year at Hogwarts. The weather was getting colder with every day they got closer to Christmas. After the war Harry had lived with the Weasleys. At first it was hard for Ginny and him being in the same house together, they were both unsure of their feelings towards each other. In the end Hermione had exploded and told them to finally sort out their relationship and spare the other inhabitants of the Burrow of their constant efforts to avoid each other.  
Harry and Ginny talked a lot and came to the conclusion that they loved each other as brother and sister. He had told her that he wanted to be a part of her family and they both decided to end their relationship as it was before the war. After such a long time being in constant fear and trying to survive in this cruel war, they both had changed. 

Returning to Hogwarts didn't feel like coming home this time. During the holidays the biggest part of the castle had been restored. They had set up a metal plate next to the doors of the Great Hall with the names of all victims engraved in it.

On the feast at the start of term McGonagall as the new headmistress had reminded them of the losses both sides of the war had suffered and that they were supposed to overcome their grief together. 

There were a few eighth years returning for their additional year. The members of the DA, some Rawenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Blaise, Theo, Pansy and Draco were the only Slytherins who came back.

xxx

"I just want to give you something." Harry pulled Malfoy's hawthorne wand from his schoolbag. "I'm sorry I didn't give it back earlier, I was very busy during the holidays." He looked up at Malfoy and held the wand out to him. Malfoy seemed rooted to the spot and was staring at the wand in Harry's hand. " Why... Why are you giving it back? It won't work for me again." he whispered barely audible. "I thought you could at least give it a try. You look better than the last time I saw you." The pale boy snapped from his stupor and looked Harry in the eyes. "Last time I saw you was at the trial. I thought I would be left to rot in Azkaban. How was I supposed to look?"

With trembling fingers he reached out for the wand and took it from Harry. Malfoy turned around and took a few steps away from him. "Wait..." Harry said to him.

"Why should I? Do you expect me to grovel at your feet? Just because you showed up at my trial? I could have handled it without you! Why do you always have to help everyone? Don't you think I already owed you enough?" Malfoy turned around and fled the corridor. Harry just stood there and stared at Malfoy's retreading back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short chapter. I'll try to write them a bit longer in the future.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry confronts Malfoy.  
> \- I think I suck at summaries...

Harry was confused. Why had Malfoy reacted like that? 

When he returned to the common room he found Ron and Hermione sitting in their favourite spot near the fireplace. He walked over to them and sat down in his favourite armchair.   
"Where have you been?" Ron asked. "I went to see Malfoy. I still had his wand and wanted to give it back. But he was acting strange..." Harry trailed off. "What did he do? In classes he still acts like the annoying prat he's always been."  
"He was hiding in the shadow and he looked like he was afraid of me. He asked why I testified at his trial. And before he ran away he... he asked me if he 'wouldn't have owed me enough before the trial'. What does this mean?" 

"You saved him from the fiendfyre in the room of requirements. He would have died without you..." Hermione tried to explain. "But we helped so many people. Why is this so important to him?" "You saved him that day. He's a pureblood and in their eyes he owes you a life debt. He basically owes you everything." Ron told him.

"A life debt is a very important issue in the tradition of pureblood families. It means, that Malfoy owes you a favour. It's not like he could just do your homework and the debt will be gone. He will have to do something more valuable for you in order to repay the debt." Hermione finished her explanation. 

They sat in silence for a few minutes while Harry tried to comprehend the information. Finally he asked: "And he thinks I want something awful from him, now he also owes me for kicking him out of Azkaban. But I don't want that life debt, it doesn't matter to me." "I think you should talk to him and tell him just that."

xxx

The next day all the 8th years had DADA class together. Harry watched as Malfoy took his seat at the back of the classroom. He eyed him during the lesson and was determined to talk to him right after the class ended. Unfortunately Malfoy slid out of the classroom before Harry could reach him. 

During lunch Harry's eyes never left the Slytherin table. When Malfoy got up and left the great hall, he followed him. On the way to the dungeons Harry caught up with Malfoy and cornered him. 

"Malfoy, we need to talk about yesterday." Harry dragged the blonde into an abandoned classroom and locked the door behind them. "Yesterday when I gave your wand back, you were talking about something you owed me. You need to explain that a bit more. What is this all about?"

Malfoy only glared at him. "Look, Malfoy. I don't want that life debt, it doesn't matter to me. During the war I saved so many people and I never wanted anything back. I don't know much about wizarding traditions, so you have to explain yourself."

After another long minutes of awkward staring and deathly silence Malfoy finally spoke with venom tainting his voice. "I owe you - the Golden Boy of the wizarding world - my life, my reputation and my security. You pulled me out of the fucking fire instead of letting me die in the war. I would have died in an at least acceptable way, now I have to carry on with my miserable existence. In the weeks between the final battle and our trials I had accepted my fate. Everybody was talking about the new justice of the reformed Ministry and the severe sentenced they were giving out to the remaining Death Eaters and I would have deserved just that. To be put in one of those cells and be left to rot, don't you agree? After all I'm just another Death Eater's bastard. Mother was crying all the time and Father spend every minute by her side. We were expecting to be incarcerated in Azkaban for at least a few decades, if not life sentences for my parents. And then the Boy-Who-Lived had the decency to grace our trial with his presence. When you spoke up for me and my family, you once again took my future in your hand and gave me a second chance. I was granted a place in this class. But that's just one side of the medal. My life depends on your opinion in every way possible. Every witch and wizard in our society keeps an eye on Mother and me. One step out of line and my life could turn into my personal hell again. Mother writes to me everyday. She still cries a lot because she couldn't keep her 'innocent little boy' out of the war. She keeps reminding me that Father always wanted the best for me. He's been in Azkaban since the trial and I still couldn't bring myself to pay him a visit. Mother's seeing him regularly, she tells me he's sorry and coming to his senses at least, but I don't know if I can trust him..." As he realised that he was ranting and spilling all those thoughts he so desperately tried to ignore, Malfoy turned around.

Harry stared at the blond's shaking shoulders. He reached out as if to lay a hand on his shoulder but let his hand fall down before actually touching him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to finish this chapter. I was a bit lost and couldn't decide how I'd like continue this story. I might add a few more chapters, but I'm not sure how many more I want to write.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys,  
> This is my first try in writing a fanfiction.  
> I found this quote and had an idea in my head I absolutely wanted to write about. I have some more chapters planned and might add them when they're finished.  
> I'm not a native English speaker, so I hope I didn't make any major mistakes.
> 
> Feel free to leave kudos and comments. :)
> 
>  
> 
> Quote from „Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix“, Chapter 13:  
> Draco says meaningly: "Maybe he's messing with stuff that's too big for him, if you get my drift" (13.98).


End file.
